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Special Public Avalanche Warning for Much of BC’s Interior Ranges

Recreational Backcountry Travellers Urged to Avoid Avalanche Terrain

Avalanche Canada and Parks Canada are issuing a Special PublicAvalanche Warning for recreational backcountry users, in effect immediatelyuntil the end of day Monday, January 15. The warning applies to the followingforecast regions: Lizard Range & Flathead, South Rockies, Purcells,Kootenay Boundary, South & North Columbia, Glacier National Park and theCariboos. For a map of the regions involved, click here.

Thesnowpack in these areas contains a number of weak layers. Recent snowstormshave buried these layers anywhere from 40 cm to more than a metre deep. Theweight of the new snow has brought this unstable snowpack to a critical point,making it very easy for skiers or snowmobilers to trigger large avalanches.

“Wehave been keeping a close eye on these weak layers and the snow load that hasbeen accumulating on top of them,” explains James Floyer, Forecasting ProgramSupervisor for Avalanche Canada. “It’s a complex situation and we are now atthe tipping point. The warmer temperatures forecast for the coming weekend willdefinitely increase the chances of triggering an avalanche.”

There have been a number of near misses reported over the past 7 – 10 days, as well as a fatal avalanche accident north of Fernie on January 8. “Many of these incidents are occurring in what is generally considered fairly safe terrain, such as relatively low-angle slopes, treed areas and even heavily tracked slopes,” adds Floyer. “These conditions require expert-level decision making skills and we recommend backcountry users avoid avalanche terrain. The signs indicating you are exposed to avalanche terrain can be very subtle. If you don’t have the training to recognize them, please avoid the backcountry or hire a professional guide.”

Last edited by canadianavalanchecentre; January 11th, 2018 at 04:47 PM.